Criminal Lawyer Blog

Police reported hate crimes down in 2011, but full picture incomplete

TORONTO – Police reported hate crimes declined across the country for a second consecutive year, according to figures released by Statistics Canada on Thursday, but experts cautioned against taking the numbers at face value.

The data agency used information from police services collected in 2011 to track hate crimes – criminal acts motivated by hate which can be violent or non-violent.

In total, 1,332 hate crimes were reported or 3.9 hate crimes per 100,000 members of the population – a rate 5 per cent lower than in 2010.